The Good Schools Guide

The Good Schools Guide "Like" this page for the latest on UK schools (state and independent) and education. Unique, straight talking, indispensible.

The Good Schools Guide was founded in 1985 by Amanda Atha and Sarah Drummond, two parents in search of schools for their children. They visited hundreds of schools and wrote about their experiences in the direct and independent style that still characterises the Guide. Twenty-four years later there are over fifty editors, spread throughout the UK; most are parents with young children, a few are former heads and senior teachers. Independently and professionally written by parents for parents, we monitor, research and VISIT all 1200+ independent and state schools in The Guide. We do not accept payment for school reviews, so we are in a position to be unbiased, honest and frank in our writing. On the website you'll also find unique data on school catchment areas, comprehensive, in-depth examination results analysis and informative, and expertly written articles on all aspects of education. "Unique among the many guides available, it sets out to give frank answers to the questions every parent asks." "It is highly opinionated: the only guide that offers parents a genuine flavour of what a school is like."
- Daily Telegraph

"One of the best aids for parents...informative and witty." "One of Britain's leading guides to schools".
- Financial Times

WIN an indulgent escape at one of the UK’s best family-friendly hotels 🙌 We have teamed up with Luxury Hotel Group to of...
16/06/2026

WIN an indulgent escape at one of the UK’s best family-friendly hotels 🙌

We have teamed up with Luxury Hotel Group to offer you the opportunity to win a relaxing family break at one of their beautiful coastal and countryside hotels.

Expect characterful heritage buildings in stunning settings, with the kind of attentive hospitality that means you can properly switch off. Worth over £1000, the prize also includes evening childcare, so that mum and dad can have that important but all-too-rare moment away from parenting.

Sign up to our newsletter to enter here https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/luxury-family-hotels-competition-terms-conditions

Entries close at 11:59pm BST on 1 July 2026. Terms and conditions apply. Good luck!

16/04/2026

If the email from the local authority did not name your preferred primary school today, your first step is to accept the place - no matter how tempting it is to return the form with ‘Over my dead body’ scrawled on it.

‘The local authority is not obligated to offer you another, so you must accept the place first,’ Melanie Sanderson explained on ITV News yesterday. ‘Go on the waiting list for the schools you do want; families move, things change, and you may yet be offered your preferred school.’

Tap link in bio for more information on what to do next

16/04/2026

If the email from the local authority did not name your preferred primary school today, your first step is to accept the place - no matter how tempting it is to return the form with ‘Over my dead body’ scrawled on it.

‘The local authority is not obligated to offer you another, so you must accept the place first,’ Melanie Sanderson explained on ITV News yesterday. ‘Go on the waiting list for the schools you do want; families move, things change, and you may yet be offered your preferred school.’

For more information on what to do next, click here: https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/uk-schools/advice/school-appeals-do-i-stand-a-chance

We’ve contributed to Sencillo's new white paper, The True Cost of Education 2026.Sencillo is a platform designed to help...
26/03/2026

We’ve contributed to Sencillo's new white paper, The True Cost of Education 2026.

Sencillo is a platform designed to help parents plan how they’ll fund their children’s education, step by step. The report takes a clear look at the full cost of education from ages 0–21, helping families understand the real financial commitment early on - so there are fewer surprises later.

It’s out now - download it here: https://www.sencillo.finance/join-us-download-whitepaper

02/03/2026

With headlines growing more troubling, the way we speak to our children about current affairs matters more than ever. Nicky Cox, editor of First News advises that if children come home with questions, it's best to answer them honestly:

"It's important that from a very early age, children are aware of what's going on - and that should be coming from home."

Tap here for Nicky's advice on how to help children make sense of the news https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/uk-schools/advice/how-to-talk-to-your-children-about-the-news-first-news

Heads changing places: how important is leadership?We’ll be asking a panel of heads what kind of leaders they are, who s...
27/02/2026

Heads changing places: how important is leadership?

We’ll be asking a panel of heads what kind of leaders they are, who sets a school’s tone, what they chose to change - or protect - on taking up post, and how pressures such as VAT on fees are shaping decisions.

A discussion about leadership in schools today with:

Elizabeth Stone Wi******er College
Ravi Kothakota Emanuel School
Scott Crawford Lancing College

🎟️ link in bio. Join us in London tomorrow 📍RHS Lindley Hall, London SW1

Going private: moving from the state sectorJoin us at for a discussion on what motivates families to move from the stat...
26/02/2026

Going private: moving from the state sector

Join us at for a discussion on what motivates families to move from the state sector, how schools support pupils who may feel behind academically or socially, how bursaries and assessments work and what the transition really involves.

Melanie Sanderson will be joined by:

Susan Wijeratna Latymer Upper School
Rick Clarke St James Senior Boys' School
Alastair Chirnside St Edward's School

📅 Saturday 28 February 2026
📍RHS Lindley Hall, London SW1

We look forward to seeing you there!

How important are buildings, facilities and location when choosing a school?This Saturday Lucinda Lafferty will be askin...
26/02/2026

How important are buildings, facilities and location when choosing a school?

This Saturday Lucinda Lafferty will be asking heads how site, buildings and postcode affect costs; the advantages of city versus country; whether location shapes pupil and staff recruitment and why facilities dominate school tours.

Joining Lucinda on stage:

Katharine Woodcock Francis Holland School Regent's Park
Samantha Price Cranleigh School
Helen Pike Magdalen College School, Oxford

A discussion for families weighing up options and thinking carefully about what value really means. Register for your FREE ticket with the link in bio.

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